back to school music lessons

Add Creativity to the School Supplies List

New backpacks, new teachers, new schedules. Back-to-school season is exciting, but it’s also a lot for kids to take in all at once. Research shows that creative expression is wonderful for kids’ happiness and well-being, especially during a big transition like the start of a new school year. It’s something we think about a lot here at Charlotte Academy of the Arts, where voice, guitar, piano, and other instrumental lessons, alongside musical theatre and other arts activities, are a catalyst for building the kind of confidence that carries into the classroom, the lunchroom, and everywhere in between.

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Guitar Lesson CAA

Guitar Lessons: A Skill that Lasts

Every parent wants to give their child something that lasts, a skill, a spark of confidence, a lifelong source of joy. The question is usually how to fit one more thing into an already full week. It’s fair to wonder. But it doesn’t have to be either/or. Here’s the case for guitar, both why its a terrific choice and how it can fit alongside other activities your child already loves.

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Aladdin KIDS Genie and Aladdin Charlotte Academy of the Arts

A Musical Theatre Path for Kids and Teens

Looking for musical theatre or acting classes for kids and teens in the south Charlotte area? Charlotte Academy of the Arts offers a clear path from beginning musical theatre classes to advanced training, auditions, and full stage productions. See where your young performer can begin and how they can grow at CAA. The sky’s the limit!

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Kids acting in musical theatre showcase

From Music Lessons to the Stage: How Kids Discover Musical Theatre

A student walks in for their weekly piano, voice, or guitar lesson, and somewhere down the hall, a theatre class or production cast is rehearsing. There’s laughter, a burst of harmony, friends running a scene. The student peeks through the door on the way to their lesson. Maybe they ask their teacher what’s going on in there. That’s usually all it takes.

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Summer Campers in musical theatre camp at Charlotte Academy of the Arts

Camps, Costumes, & Curtain Calls

Summer may be winding down, but here at Charlotte Academy of the Arts we’re still glowing from the creativity, laughter, and growth we watched happen week after week. Our camps brought together kids of all ages for one purpose: to explore the arts in a way that builds real confidence and real friendships. Looking back, this was one of our best summers yet.

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Child smiling on stage in musical theatre class CAA

Musical Theatre – One Class, So Many Benefits

If you’re searching for musical theatre classes for kids, you’re probably already sold on the idea that your child would love it. What you might not realize is how much more they’ll get out of it than a fun enrichment class after school.

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Young boy takes piano lesson at Charlotte Academy of the Arts

Music Lessons: One of the Best Investments You’ll Make

If you’ve been searching for music lessons in the Charlotte area and hesitated on signing your child because it felt like “one more expense,” you’re not alone. But when you actually stack music lessons up against other popular kids’ activities, the math tells a different story.

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Fairness in educational theatre auditions

Why Transparency Matters in Youth Theatre Auditions

A student walks into an audition room having rehearsed a dozens of times in front of a mirror. They may not know how the decision will be made or much about the audition process. For a young performer, that uncertainty can be as nerve-wracking as the audition itself, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right process in place, a theatre program can turn that same moment into one where the student feels prepared, comfortable, and genuinely excited for what comes next.

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SHINE Company performs at Charlotte Center for the Arts benefit

Matthews Award-Winning Theatre Troupe

Being a SHINE Company member means more than just being part of a show, it means becoming part of a group of dedicated performers who train, grow, and shine together. It’s real stage experience, real feedback from industry professionals, and real friendships built along the way.

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Once Upon a Musical revue at Charlotte Academy of the Arts

Once Upon a Musical

This fall, our story leads to one magical night. Charlotte Academy of the Arts is thrilled to announce our Fall Revue, Once Upon a Musical. This revue is built around a storybook theme, celebrating the fairytales and beloved books that made us fall in love with storytelling. From chocolate factories to the world under the sea, from Jazz Age parties to the land of Oz, to a certain swamp far, far away. This is one evening where every beloved tale gets its moment in the spotlight.

 

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Shine at Charlotte Academy of the Arts

We believe all students should have the chance to experience the magic of live theater, regardless of financial circumstances. This scholarship helps cover participation costs for students who wish to join our production of Shrek The Musical.

Please complete the form below so we can get to know you and understand why you’d like to be part of the show. Please note that scholarship funds are limited, and we are unable to award scholarships to all applicants. Submitting an application does not guarantee an award. All information shared will be kept confidential. We ask that students who are awarded a scholarship also keep that information confidential.

SHINE Scholarship Form

This form is due by July 24, 2206. All applicants will be notified of the scholarship decision by July 27, 2026.

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School Supply Drive at Charlotte Academy of the Arts

School Supplies Drive

Academy families, staff, and teachers have been supporting our community for many years through clothing, food, and school supply drives. We’ve also volunteered together in the community, as well as performed and made valentines for nursing home and assisted living residents. Our outreach program was formerly known as CAM Cares.

Now that we are no longer CAM, but CAA, we have a new name for our community outreach program as well… Arts with Heart.

 

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PopArts kids arts night out at charlotte academy of the arts in Matthews, NC

Introducing PopArts!

It’s the heart of summer, and every parent knows how this goes. The pool trips and camps were great, but the “I’m bored” chorus has begun, and Friday night rolls around with everyone itching for something new to do. CAA has the answer!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of PopArts, a brand-new monthly kids’ night out right here in Matthews that blends hands-on arts immersion with the pure joy of pizza and a movie.

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Kids training in dance class

Why Every Performer Needs Dance

Ask any Broadway casting director what separates the performers who book the job from the ones who almost did, and you’ll hear the same answer often: they could dance.

But even if your child never sets foot in a professional audition room, dance classes offer something every kid and teen needs, and often isn’t getting enough of: Movement. And if you’ve been searching for dance classes for kids in the Charlotte area, we have some exciting news to share below.

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Nathanael Bryant Guitar Teacher at Charlotte Academy of the Arts

Nathanael Bryant

Nathan Bryant is a musician and instructor originally from Hendersonville, NC. His passion for learning music began over a decade ago, with a desire to play “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Since then, he hasn’t stopped, and continues to explore a wide range of genres and playing styles, including jazz, soul, indie rock, blues, and more.

Nathan has years of professional playing experience in both live performance and studio settings. He completed courses in music theory, aural skills, class piano, and percussion while earning his Bachelor’s of Arts in Communication at UNC Asheville. On the sidelines, he enjoys running live sound and, fun fact, professionally building guitar effect pedals.

Over time, Nathan’s love of learning music expanded into a love of teaching it. His mission as an instructor is to utilize both his academic and real-world experiences to help students grow into confident and curious musicians themselves.

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Matthew Hinson directs vocal workshop at Charlotte Academy of the Arts

Matthew Hinson

Matthew Hinson holds a degree in Music Education from East Carolina University, with concentrations in choral music and piano accompaniment. Mr. Hinson currently serves as Musical Director for the Musical Theatre programs at Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte. With current and former students performing on and off Broadway and in national musical tours, he was awarded the 2019 Inspiring Teacher Award by The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (also known as The Jimmy Awards) in NYC. Mr. Hinson has served as musical director for shows with Theatre Charlotte, Community School of Davidson, Catawba Care Coalition and Carolina Voices, and he accompanies workshops and rehearsals with the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and The Blumey Awards. He has directed numerous master classes both home and abroad, and has sung with the North Carolina Symphony, Opera Carolina, and Oratorio Singers of Charlotte with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Hinson also serves as the Residence Life Director of Summer Ventures in Science and Math at Appalachian State University.

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Musical Theatre Vocal Workshop

Join vocal coach and music director Matthew Hinson on February 7, 2027 for a two-hour workshop focused helping area students prepare for school and community musical theatre auditions.

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A New Chapter Begins

You may have first walked through our doors for music lessons. Then came the recitals, theatre productions, summer camps, and friendships. For nearly two decades Charlotte Academy of Music has been so much more than music. And now our new name and logo finally reflect the bigger picture. Welcome to Charlotte Academy of the Arts.

Our new name that reflects everything we have always been and every exciting thing we are becoming. Music. Theatre. Dance. Visual Art. Summer Camps. And coming in the 2026-2027 season, new classes, workshops, and special events designed to inspire, connect, and ignite something wonderful in every single student who walks through our doors. Same incredible teachers. Same warm, welcoming community. A whole new chapter and the best is yet to come.

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CAA’s Musical is a Splashing Success

Charlotte Academy of the Arts is thrilled to celebrate the curtain call on our production of The Little Mermaid Jr. — and what a milestone production it was. This marked our very first musical theatre production under our new name, and we couldn’t be more proud of how our students and creative team brought it to life.

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